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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23976664">I Get to Love You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustanotherfangirl/pseuds/notjustanotherfangirl'>notjustanotherfangirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Lone Star Week 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Lone Star Week, 911lonestarweek, Firefam Feels, Fluff, Wedding Fluff, Weddings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:42:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23976664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustanotherfangirl/pseuds/notjustanotherfangirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For 9-1-1 Lone Star Week, Day 1 - Family<br/>Prompt - I get to start something new with you<br/>------<br/>"It was a good day. Their family was together. They were happy. And it was the start of something new."<br/>------<br/>Or, TK and Carlos are getting married.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Firehouse 126 Crew (9-1-1 Lone Star) &amp; Carlos Reyes, Firehouse 126 Crew (9-1-1 Lone Star) &amp; TK Strand, Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Judd Ryder &amp; TK Strand, Michelle Blake &amp; Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Lone Star Week 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1729732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Lone Star Week</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Get to Love You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I started watching 9-1-1 Lone Star after the season had already ended, but I loved it from the first episode. I loved the FireFam, I loved the cast, I loved everyone’s relationships. And when I saw the prompts for this week, I got excited because I actually had multiple ideas for every day. I planned to work on writing over time, but I ended up with a lot of work after my classes moved online, and I got distracted. I didn't realize that it was time for Lone Star Week already.</p><p>I noticed that it was May 1 (and seriously, where did April go?), and I was kind of upset that I didn’t have anything written yet, and I opened up the document where I had typed up the prompts and my ideas, but none of them fit. They didn’t feel right, and I didn’t think I would have time to write with my finals happening this week. Then I ended up watching the latest episode of 9-1-1, and I had promised myself that I was not going to watch it until I got everything done for my classes, but I watched it anyway, because I was procrastinating on the work.</p><p>Watching the episode just made me sad for Buck, and so I went to read some happy fics, and I found one where TK’s mom came to visit, but she wasn’t really supportive of his relationship with Carlos, and I was just about to get to a conversation between TK and his mom when I stopped to think, and I started thinking about the prompt for today. Now, naturally, this is happening at 1:30 am, and I only talk about emotions when I’m awake after midnight, so of course my mind started writing TK and Carlos’s wedding vows. I spent the next hour typing on my phone in the dark, and I wrote almost 1000 words.</p><p>I spent all of yesterday editing and adding detail to what I had written at 2 in the morning, and I spent probably way too long researching weddings since the last wedding I went to was at least 15 years ago, and I procrastinated on my school work some more, but I’m actually pretty happy with this. (I’m serious about the wedding research, I probably spent an hour looking through information on different wedding traditions, writing vows, and how to get married in Texas) </p><p>I decided to title it “I Get to Love You” after the Ruelle song, and the Malec wedding scene from Shadowhunters because that’s where I went after my wedding research. And there may be a hint of that scene in this, but here you go: TK and Carlos's wedding.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's a beautiful day.</p><p>They've been planning this day for months. Coordinating schedules. Booking venues. Bickering about catering. Arguing over who gets which side and whether they really need to invite that one cousin, because you haven't seen each other in years, Carlos.</p><p>But finally. The day had arrived. Their families had gathered. The decorations were perfect, overseen by Grace, who will always remember the flowers being wrong on her own day, despite her happiness, and Mateo, who was detail-oriented and wanted to make sure it was perfect for his friends. </p><p>They managed to get the entire 126 crew, their significant others, Carlos's family, TK's mom, a few friends from outside of work, a few other friends from work, and even Owen's other ex-wife in one room, watching the ceremony. Zoe was there too, because even though she and Owen weren't currently together, she was a big part of what helped TK decide to take a chance with Carlos. They even managed to get one of the firefighters that TK had kept in touch with from their team in New York down for a few days, though the others sent gifts and best wishes.</p><p>All of their family was there, Judd was behind him, and Michelle was across from him. But from the moment his dad left him at the altar, the only thing TK could see was the man right in front of him. The officiant was talking, and TK was familiar enough with what would be happening that he was comfortable enough to tune out most of what was happening, just taking in the sight of the man he loves, until it was his turn to speak.</p><p>"When we moved to Austin, I was in one of the worst places I had ever been in my life. My relationship hadn't just ended. It imploded. And I fell apart. I relapsed. I OD'd. I almost died. And I am so thankful that I didn't. I'm so glad that my dad said yes, that he dragged me down here. That we got to start something new together, and that it led me straight to you. Because I was in a terrible place, and there you were. This gorgeous police officer who saved me, who brought light and feeling and joy and happiness into my life. And most of all, you brought love. And now I get to start something new with you. </p><p>"I thought I knew what love was. That I understood why people got married. But that was before I met you, and now I feel like I'm living in a fairy tail because I love you so much and I never want to let you out of my life. I want to spend every day with you for the rest of forever. I want to wake up to your beautiful smiling face every day. I want you to call me 'Tiger' and every other silly pet name with that ridiculous little smirk on your face. I want to go on a call and see you standing on the other side of the room talking to a witness. I want to get in stupid arguments about who forgot to do the laundry, or who left the milk out, or being more careful on calls. I want to go out with our family and have fun and dance together like that first night after we met.</p><p>"Because I treasure every moment I get to spend with you, and I am so thankful that you didn't give up on me when I was terrified of connecting to someone. Terrified of getting hurt again. Terrified of feeling something for someone. I love you so much and I am so happy to be standing here. I am so glad that you stuck around and fought for us, even when I was questioning everything else in my life. That you were there with me, and you supported me, and you were just generally the best, most patient man on the planet, and you didn't let me give up or push you away. And now, as cliche as it is, I don't even have the words to describe how much I love you, Carlos Reyes. I love everything about you, even the fact that you only eat creamy peanut butter.” TK had to stop to take a deep breath before continuing, barely keeping the tears from falling.</p><p>“Carlos, I promise to talk to you when I’m struggling. I promise to fight hard every day to make sure that I come home to you. I promise to be there for you after your tough calls, and to let you be there for me when my team has a tough call. I promise not to freak out when you make fancy dinners in the middle of the night because we both had long shifts. I will love you when we’re happy, when we’re laying in bed together, or we’re watching our family, and even when we’re fighting. I will love you until the end because you are one of the best things that has ever happened to me. And I am so happy that I get to stand here and become your husband.”</p><p>TK barely made it through his own vows without crying, but he doubted he could hold it together when Carlos started talking. He was proven right when his tears started to fall a few sentences after Carlos began.</p><p>"Tyler Kennedy Strand, I first read your full name after you got in a stupid barfight and you had blood all over your face. I saw you sitting there, looking all sad and pathetic, and I thought, 'I'm gonna fall hard for this guy' because you still looked like the most beautiful person I had ever seen, even covered in blood. We had been together before that, but that moment, when I wiped the blood off your face, when you started opening up to me, I knew I could never let you go without a fight. I never expected to fall for someone as quickly as I did for you, but I knew, when we were laying on the hood of the car and you held my hand while we were watching the sky lit up so beautifully, that we would be together forever. Because we were laying under such a beautiful sky, but the only thing I could look at was you.</p><p>“We were taking the relationship slowly at the start, but that didn't make the feelings slow down. When we fought about you getting hurt on a call, all I could think about was seeing you in that hospital bed, not knowing when or if you would wake up, and how you could have died without knowing that I love you. It didn't take long after that for me to realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. That I wanted to build a family. To start something new. You know I jump into things pretty quickly, for all that I caution Michelle to slow down and make a plan. But it has never felt like things were happening too fast with you. I've never worried that we were making a mistake. We argue, and we bicker, and we banter, and we have an entire crew of nosy family members that will never leave us alone. But I believe that we were meant for each other. </p><p>"I'm so glad your dad found you that day, and brought you here. And that I was on shift that day so we went to the same call. We would have met eventually, and maybe it would have been a smoother ride, but I will always treasure every day, every moment, that we have and will get to spend together. I am so thankful that I get to love you.</p><p>"And mostly, I am so happy that you are strong, and brave, and caring, and that you have fought so hard to get here. To get past all the hurt. To take your life back in your hands, to choose to live and love and be happy. And to choose me to be all of those things with. I wish I could keep you safe and prevent every bad thing that ever has or ever will happen to you, but every moment has been leading you right here, to stand in front of me. To be the strongest, most amazing man that you are. And to spend every day of your life fighting to save and protect people, and to come back home to love me.” Carlos paused, taking a shaky breath, and holding TK’s hand a little tighter.</p><p>“TK, I love you more than I ever thought it would be possible for me to love another person. I love you more every day, every time I see you on a call, every time I see you smile, every time you laugh while your dad interrogates me on my skin-care routine. I promise to fight for us, to not let you pull away when things get tough, and that I will not push you away when I struggle. To take a moment every day, to tell you that I love you. To work and come back home to you and the family we are building. To give you space when you need it, and even to let Buttercup sleep on the bed with us when you bring him home. Because I love you so much, because I want to be your husband, because I want to make you smile, and because you deserve all the happiness in the world. I promise to do my best to make you happy, and I promise to love you.”</p><p>The officiant gave them a moment to collect themselves after the vows before asking for the rings. Michelle and Judd handed them the rings, and they followed the instruction to exchange them. The officiant spoke for a moment, neither man absorbing a word he said, except to listen for their cue, as focused on each other as they were. They would go back to watch the video later, to hear the things they missed, to see how nice their family looked, to listen to their vows all over again, but for now, the only thing they were listening for was…</p><p>“It is my honor to pronounce you one. You may now kiss.”</p><p>The kiss was simple. They had already agreed that they didn’t want to get carried away in front of all their friends and family, but it was a kiss full of love, so similar, yet different from the ones they shared when they had just met. </p><p>They went back down the aisle, their family was standing and clapping for them as they exited.</p><p>A short time later, they were at the reception, Judd and Michelle gave their speeches, as did Owen, Marjan, Carlos’s sister, Carlos’s parents, TK’s mom, and a few other members of the family.</p><p>After the speeches, and the dinner that took weeks to negotiate the menu for, it was time for the dancing.</p><p>The new husbands had their first dance, then one with their mothers, and then their sisters. Carlos had one sister to dance with, and Marjan danced with TK as his sister, and then Grace, and Michelle, and TK’s former step-mother, and Paul, and Mateo, and Judd get in on the dancing too. Nancy and Tim were somewhere dancing too. After a few songs, the music changed to something that most of the people in the room were familiar with.</p><p>“Who’s ready for some good, old-fashioned Texas line dancing?” TK called out to the room, making a few people laugh. </p><p>Several people thought it was just a Texas joke, one or two thought it was a good time to break out some long-forgotten skills, and some decided it was time for them to sit down. But the team knew that this was a call-back to the first night they were all out together, and the real first time TK and Carlos danced together. </p><p>“Wanna dance?” TK whispered to his now-husband.</p><p>And Carlos looked at him, then said, “Yeah,” with a little smile. Both of them remembered that night when they danced together, and they remembered what happened after. And they remembered  everything that had led them to that moment, to stand in the middle of their family. To be married. And they started dancing with the rest of the crowd.</p><p>And it was a good day. Their family was together. They were happy. And it was the start of something new.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed this. I definitely got emotional writing the vows at 2 in the morning, and I'm sorry if the vows felt a little repetitive, but that's where my heart went, and I'm usually terrible at romance and dialogue, so I was surprised I even wrote it at all. I'm sure there are several things that I thought about and forgot to add, but I'm actually pretty happy with how this turned out.</p><p>If anyone found this from my story "Turning New Pages," I am working on it, I'm about halfway through where I want the chapter to go. My classes end after this week, so I'll be free to write more over the summer, and hopefully I'll get more out before the end of this month. Probably after rewatching the wedding a million times.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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